By REBECCA MUSHOTA –
CHIEFS Munkonge of Northern Province and  Mukuni of Southern Province yesterday morning visited incarcerated United Party for National Development (UPND) vice-president Geoffrey Mwamba at the Lusaka Central Police Station to encourage him to stay calm.
Mr Mwamba has been detained since Friday after he was arrested for threatening the life of President Lungu by saying that he would go for his throat.
This was after he was released on bond earlier in the week after he was arrested for unlawful drilling.
The chiefs yesterday arrived at the station around 10:00 hours to visit Mr Mwamba.
Mr Mwamba’s family members also went in as well as part of his legal team, while his sympathisers stood at the gate of the police station.
Chief Mukuni told reporters after visiting Mr Mwamba that they went there to encourage him to remain calm, and not to be vengeful  against his opponents, but to love all politicians and to foster change from politics of vengeance.
Chief Munkonge said Mr Mwamba was his ‘son’ and he had been sent by the Bemba Royal Establishment (BRE) and Chief Chitimukulu, in particular, to verify that the opposition leader had been put in cells.
However, the BRE has distanced itself from the claim by Chief Munkonge that he was sent by Chief Chitimukulu, as the paramount chief had made no mention of the same to his spokesperson.
Chief Munkonge, who is closely related to GBM,  said he went to find out exactly what had led to Police arresting Mwamba and he would report back to Chief Chitimukulu and the BRE on what had transpired.
The BRE would act after getting a message from him.
Chief Munkonge said he found Mwamba calm and confident and he encouraged him to remain in high spirits.
However, Chitimukulu’s spokesperson James Mulenga said he was not aware that Chief Munkonge had been sent on a mission to Lusaka to verify matters relating to Mr Mwamba’s arrest.
Mr Mulenga said the chief had not mentioned that he had sent an emissary to Lusaka.
He said it was logical for Chief Munkonge to visit Mr Mwamba because they were closely related.
Meanwhile, PF spokesperson Frank Bwalya said the visit by the chiefs should not be seen as solidarity for Mr Mwamba’s alleged actions.
Mr Bwalya said he was not the spokesperson for BRE, but it was obvious that the visit was not political but humanitarian.
“The royal establishment has an obligation to visit their subjects and bring them words of encouragement,” he said.
Mr Bwalya said people or UPND members should not use the visit to spread propaganda that the chiefs were backing Mr Mwamba.